Mood Rings
by Enula
Summary: Burton's Alice. Three years have past and Alice is now returning. The Red Queen has escaped and is looking for revenge, so it's up to Alice and Hatter to once again risk their lives for Underland. Rated T for now. Alice/Hatter
1. Deep Amber

_**Mood Rings**_

_**I.**_

_I'm walking through a garden. It's a beautiful garden, but one that's lacking something…color. Everywhere I look, there's only white. White roses, white tulips, white daffodils…even white leaves. The stems are green, but a very dull sort of green…like they're depressed and can't show their brilliance. I don't know how I can give plants such distinct emotions, but I feel it too._

_Depressed…and annoyed. Why is everything so…boring! That's all I can think. Finally, I spot a bucket. At first, I think it's just a gardening bucket, used to water the flowers. But as I get closer, I notice that it's filled with a deep red substance. My heart starts pounding. I don't know why, but my instincts tell me that it's blood._

_But then I spot a small paintbrush beside the bucket. I realize that it's just red paint. I kneel down and grab the brush without thinking, and dip it deep into the thick paint, somehow physically feeling the paint seep into my body, much like how it was doing with all the small hairs that made up the brush._

_Once I'm sure the brush is soaked, I quickly turn to the left and splatter the paint all over what was a pure white rose only seconds before. I know it may seem ridiculous…trying to paint a flower, but it was taking the paint very well; for as it once was perfectly white, it is now truly red._

_I can't help it…I must paint the rest of the flowers! The pale stem that held the rose I painted became such a brilliant forest green, I feel I _need _to do the same to the rest of the garden._

_I paint and paint and paint…but just as I'm on the last rose…I run out of paint. There's not a single drop of red left in the bucket. My heart sinks in disappointment over having to leave just one rose without color. But then, just as quickly as I spotted the red paint, I see a blue paint bucket. It's very small, but it's the right amount for that last poor rose. I paint it blue._

_And then…and I don't know why…but I pick it. I tug the stem from its roots and bring the flower to my nose and inhale deeply. I turn and see someone standing off in the distance…just outside of the garden. I want to yell to them to come see what I did to the flowers, but I have no voice. I don't feel alarmed, however, and simply begin walking in this person's direction._

_When I get close enough, I see that he's wearing a hat. I stop…I know who it is. It's a long, lost friend. I begin running. I'm sure he'll want to see my blue rose!_

_I call his name, and though I don't hear my voice, he seems to. He turned around…slowly, but once he has his eyes on me…those green eyes…everything else seems to fade away. I'm suddenly left in the darkness, the only light being his bright green eyes and my blue rose. I call his name again. But then his eyes close, my rose begins to burn to ashes in my hand, and then…_

"I wake up."

Mr. Ascot stared at me, the mustache above his lips twitching just slightly. We were both silent and still, save for the gentle rocking of the ship on the midnight waves. He didn't give me any looks to suggest that he began to presume I was mad, but his continuous, non-wavering stare was beginning to agitate me.

"You think it's a crazy dream?" I asked, waiting for him to give me the response I was expecting.

He sighed and brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes tightly before quickly opening them again to show that they were slightly bloodshot. But it was late, and I'm sure he had planned on going to bed just as soon as I walked into his study and interrupted him.

"No, Alice, I don't think your dream is crazy. How can dreams possibly be crazy, when all they are, are our subconscious thoughts? They're not real."

My shoulders slumped, not expecting that answer, "Then why do you look at me like that?"

A chuckle escaped his throat, "Because I don't see what that dream has to do with rushing our trip back home so we can get to my estate as quickly as possible."

I closed my eyes. It was my mistake to tell him that my dream was the reason I wanted to hurry home. No other reason…and I couldn't even explain the dream to him. Right then, he was probably thinking that I had no idea what the dream meant, and I probably just picked it up from something different I saw while in China. But in my heart, I knew…I knew my dream meant something.

Somehow, the Red Queen made me paint the White Queen's garden red. I don't know what the blue rose represented. But I think the Mad Hatter was trying to tell me something…warn me…

Hatter…I found it sad that he was looking right at me at the end of my dream, but I couldn't read the emotions he held. Usually, I found he was like a mood ring. So much so that I even purchased an authentic one in China. It reminded me of how he was so innocent and pure about his feelings…rather he was feeling excited, fearful, outraged…among other things. The mood ring helped me straighten my feelings out.

Casually looking down at my ring finger on my right hand, I noticed that it was dark amber. I studied the chart that came with the ring, and knew the color meant to tell me that I was anxious. Sometimes I wished the mood ring could also tell me _why _I felt the way I do. Alas, that's hoping for just a little too much.

"Alice?"

Hearing him say my name, I looked back up at him and forced a smile, "I know it doesn't make any sense to you…but I just feel as though I forgot something there."

He raised an eyebrow, "But that was nearly three years ago…and you're just thinking about it now?" Shaking his head, he rolled up the map he had been studying, "Must not be that important to you."

I bit my bottom lip gently to stop my outburst upon hearing this comment. I wanted to tell him that it was the most important thing in my life…that nothing could ever take its place. But then…I thought…he would surely ask what it was. And how could I explain to him in any way of sounding sane…

That the most important thing in my life dealt with a wonderland where you can drink a potion that made you shrink, eat a cake that made you grow, talk to animals, watch a cat disappear in thin air, slay a dragon, and…most importantly…

Feel hopelessly devoted to a madman.

*****

We didn't make it back to the mainland for another six days. Usually, I took the time to enjoy the rock of the ocean, but lately it had me feeling sick with restlessness. In fact, I had been lying in my rack with a warm washcloth over my eyes when I heard the whistle blow, signaling that we were about to hit shore.

I quickly ran from the bottom to the main deck, a huge smile plastering my lips as I saw the landscape. It had been so long since I'd been home…sure, it was beyond anything I could've dreamed to sail to China with my father's spirit beside me…but I lived it. Now I wanted to focus on other parts of my life.

I looked down at the dock to see who would be picking us up. Not to my surprise, I spotted Hamish, looking as "lordy" as ever, standing straightly erect next to a very petite redhead who looked as snobbish as himself.

"You do remember Janet, my daughter-in-law, from the letters, correct?" Mr. Ascot asked as he came up beside me to look down at his family. Hearing him mention this, it brought back memories to when we first received a letter from Hamish, stating that he found the perfect bride for him. I couldn't suppress a giggle as I recalled the way he described her, using words as though to try to make me jealous. Believe me, I was far more relieved that he wouldn't try to pursue me any longer.

"Ah yes," I reply, a quirk of a smile twisting my lips, "She's even prettier than he described, don't you think?"

Mr. Ascot gave me a double-take, at first not getting my sarcasm. But once he realized I was making fun of the way Hamish over-dramatized Janet's looks in his letters, he gave a short chuckle, "Yes, of course. Just remember to be nice on the ride home, Alice."

*****

And be nice, I did. The ride home was long, but uneventful. Mr. Ascot tried to make small talk first with his new daughter, but when she didn't give sufficient answers, he turned to his son. After realizing that neither of them had anything of interest to discuss, he brought me into the conversation to begin describing all our adventures in China.

Hamish and Janet Ascot couldn't have been less interested.

As soon as the carriage pulled up to Mr. Ascot's estate, I jumped out and made a mad dash for the garden.

"Alice!" Mr. Ascot called after me, "Don't you want a bite to eat before you go wandering around?"

"No, thank you!" I screamed back, waving my arm behind me as a farewell. My heart was pounding in my throat and I found it hard to swallow. Once I was a good distance into the maze-like garden, I slowed down to catch my breath, surprised at my enthusiasm to come this far at the pace I was going.

I put a hand over my chest to slow my breathing. I looked around, hoping to spot some movement in the bushes. I swallowed hard, "Hello?! White Rabbit!" I spun around, "Are you there?"

I stood very still, trying to hold my breath now. Nothing. Would the White Rabbit be around if he wasn't looking for me? Truthfully, I wasn't quite sure how that worked. I knew he came out and about looking for me if there was trouble, but…what if everything was fine in Wonderland? He surely wouldn't come back to this world for no reason…would he?

I looked down at my mood ring to see it was still amber. I dropped my hand in irritation. I wanted to stomp my foot childishly, but thankfully stopped myself. I would have to think this out rationally…where was that rabbit hole?

The bushes shook beside me, causing me to jump from surprise. My eyes grew and blinked rapidly as I rushed over to the greenery, "Rabbit?" I spread the branches apart and looked inside, but there was nothing.

I heard someone clear his throat and I shot my head up to look down the isle of flowers. And there, at the other end, was the White Rabbit in his waistcoat. I was too shocked to move for a long moment…could it really be…just because I wanted him here…?

He held up his pocket watch and tapped on it insistently, bringing me back to reality…well, sort of. He turned and began hopping in the other direction. I thanked my adrenaline as I ran after him, knowing he would lead me to the rabbit hole that would lead me back to Wonderland and…all I left behind.

It didn't take him long to lead me to the large hole that sat at the bottom of the tree. I dropped to my knees and stared down into the darkness. I always hated this part…

"Just breathe, Alice…" I whispered to myself before closing my eyes and allowing my hands to slip to begin falling endlessly.

As I was falling, I thought of all the people I would surprise upon my return. I would quite like to visit the White Queen to see how she was doing, and…and…I would like to attend another tea party for I'm sure I was late. I smiled just thinking about it, though it quickly faded once my freefalling stopped and I landed roughly at the bottom.

"They need to find a better landing for me…" I grunted as I picked myself up. I was glad nothing changed as I saw the "drink me" bottle, the "eat me" cake, and the key that would unlock the door.

I grabbed the key off the table and drank the potion, feeling the tipsy feeling in my stomach as it felt like the room began to grow larger instead of me shrinking. I laughed inwardly as I tried to drag my dark indigo dress with me so I would be able to grow into it again once I exited the room. Somehow, I managed, eating a small bite of cake once I was on the other side to grow to my normal height.

"I see you're getting better at that!" came a loud, yet squeaky voice. I looked down to see Mallymkun, grinning back up at me with her hands on her hips.

I giggled, "With all I went through last time, it's hard to forget."

"Hm! Well, it's a good thing your memory didn't fail you this time!" the Dormouse sounded slightly annoyed when saying this, "Isn't that right, Hatter?" She turned to the left to look at who she addressed.

My heart skipped a beat and my stomach dropped to the ground. Hatter was already here? My eyes followed the direction that Mallymkun looked, and sure enough, there he was. He sat sitting against a tree, his head bent down so his hat was covering his face.

I didn't even dare blink as I began to walk toward him, hardly even noticing the mouse and rabbit that followed my movements. Why wasn't he looking up at me…?

I opened my mouth, trying to find my voice, "Hatter…?"

And with that, he finally began to lift his head. The first thing I noticed was how his face wasn't as pale as it had been three years ago, and the red around his eyes wasn't so prominent. He seemed much healthier, and his eyes were the same brilliant green as I remembered them to be.

As soon as his eyes locked with mine, a large, toothy smile broke out over his face. The happiness and excitement was portrayed perfectly just from that action.

"Alice…" The S sound at the end of my name lingered for nearly five seconds, his smile seeming to grow larger and larger with each passing second.

Oh yeah, it was good to be back.

* * *

Well, there's my first chapter! I'm sorry if it seemed so slow (adding so much up to when she finally got back to Wonderland) or if it seemed too rushed (she got there too fast). I'm hoping most of you found a happy medium for it, that way you'll come back to read more parts of my story!

Oh, but I had a question for you guys:

I just looked up Tim Burton's Alice on Wikipedia, and it said that the Hatter's real name is Tarrant Hightopp. Now, I usually tend to believe Wiki but I don't know their sources for that. My question is, do you want me to introduce Hatter as Tarrant in this story, or would you rather just let it be and address him as Hatter? Whatever you guys feel more comfortable with. Thanks in advance for the opinions and reviews!


	2. Reddish Orange

**Mood Rings**

**II.**

I was in his arms the second he got to his feet. A loud, joyous laughter emitted from my lips as I buried my face into his fiery, wild hair. I heard him laugh also, not so much his maniacal-like laugh when he found something absolutely hilarious, but one that could be called masculine excitement.

I felt him grip my hips before my feet left the ground. I grabbed onto his shoulders and looked down at him, my heart swelling at the proud and wondrous look he was giving me. Then, without any warning, he began spinning me in his arms, the world circling around us. I laughed again, my hair flying behind me the faster we got.

Finally, just as I was about to get dizzy, he stopped and set me back down. He breathed out a content sigh he probably didn't know he'd been holding, "It's good to see you back where you belong."

Hearing this, I began to quiet down. My eyes quickly averted away from his own, a small muffle escaping my throat. His words made me feel slightly guilty for having not stayed those three years ago, but I didn't want the feeling to linger. I looked back up at him with a grin, "So how have you been? You must tell me everything!"

"Yes, of course…but first…! We must hurry to the tea party that has been arranged in your honor."

"Sounds lovely," I replied, beginning to wonder why Hatter himself was not already at this tea party waiting for me to arrive.

His toothy smile came back, "And if you so wish, I would like to be your humble escort to this tea party," as he said this, he began to bow down, going lower and lower until his face was almost to the ground. He finally popped back to attention after this.

I gave a small giggle and did a small curtsy, my fingers dainty and soft as they held either side of my dress, "I would love to be your date to the tea party."

"Super!" He exclaimed with the slight lisp he had that I found quite charming. He bent his arm for me to take, my hand sliding around his elbow as he began leading me in the direction of the tea party. The Dormouse and the White Rabbit followed close to us as we began out small journey.

"How did you know I was looking for you?" I asked the White Rabbit as he began walking on the other side of me.

"Oh dear, oh my…!" he exclaimed, taking out his pocket watch and dangling it in front of his eyes. He tapped it a few times before gripping the device in his paws and shaking it with all his might.

"_You _were looking for Nivens?" Mallymkun asked, her little feet scampering all the way up my body until she reached my shoulder. I never knew her to do this before, but I assumed she was more trusting towards me now, "I thought it was just pure luck he found you this time."

"_This _time?" I questioned, my eyes going to Hatter. He was already looking at me.

"He had left Underland eight times before finally being successful in finding you to bring you back. Where have you been?" Hatter asked this in a slightly sad tone, as though I should have known that they wanted me…or needed me…to come back in that instant.

I thought back on the world I had just left, "Well, I've been traveling around China for the past three years." All three of them looked at me as though I were crazy, "A country…to trade with! You know…something of mine for something of yours."

Looking at Hatter's eyes, I saw them turn an almost orange-like color…in fact, it almost matched his hair. I looked down at my mood ring…a color like that meant excited…adventurous. I grinned, loving how he showed that he truly wanted to know what I had been doing and really interested in it.

"Is it fun?" he asked, almost how a child would ask another about a toy that he desperately wanted to play with.

"Oh yes, very much so!" I exclaimed, "I met so many different people and learned—."

"Oi! That doesn't explain why _she _was looking for Nivens!" Mallymkun interrupted, becoming outwardly angry for dismissing her topic of conversation.

I covered my mouth slightly with my free hand, trying to hide my amused smile from her, "Yes well…though I enjoyed China and trading with them, I hurried back in hopes of seeing the White Rabbit."

She gave a loud sigh, "But _why?!"_

"Hm…" I began, trying to figure out exactly what was going through my head when I felt the mad rush to get back to Wonderland, "I'm not quite sure exactly. I guess I…felt like I was missing something."

As I said this, I glanced back over at Hatter, not surprised to see him staring at me with wonder. I smiled, almost shyly, at this, wanting to know why he gazed at me as though I were some sort of…legend…

Oh yeah….

"_Thee _Alice?" a voice came from nowhere. We all stopped abruptly in our tracks, looking around to see where it came from.

And then a pair of large marble-like eyes appeared in front of us. I laughed. I knew I should have recognized his voice.

"Chessur…" as soon as I pronounced his name, the rest of the tabby cat appeared, a larger than life smile going from ear to ear.

"What a pleasant sight," he said, floating closer to me until his face was all I could see, "Too bad you had to come back on such… unpleasant circumstances."

"Unpleasant circumstances?" I repeated, my heart automatically beginning to pound faster. So there was a reason why I felt I had to come back here so quickly!

"Let's…discuss those matters over tea, yes?" Hatter interrupted this time, nodding vigorously in hopes that I would agree with him

The Cheshire Cat chuckled lowly, "Tarrant…really now. Why are you trying to keep the bad news all to yourself instead of sharing it with an old friend?"

I shot my eyes back and forth between them, only briefly wondering if I ever heard Hatter's real name spoken before. But with other…more serious reasons it would seem…on hand, I had no time to worry about names.

"Hatter…?"

"_Over tea," _he said through his teeth, though he kept his smile to maintain the fluffy atmosphere we had going on before Chessur showed up and introduced that there was bad news to be said.

I huffed, quite agitated that this news was kept from me and I had to wait to be told even now. My hand tightened on his elbow to show him that I was slightly displeased.

He held his ground, however, and would not tell me. I didn't have to wait much longer though, for in a few more minutes, we reached a clearing of the woods and stepped into the open. And there, just like last time, sat a large table that had about eight chairs around it. And right in the middle of the table, stood a very mad looking March Hare.

"You're late!" He yelled as soon as he saw us, thrusting a teacup at our heads. Hatter and I both ducked at the same time, hearing the whistle of the wind as the teacup flew over our heads and smashed into a tree behind us.

We continued walking toward the table as though it never happened.

"So sorry. It took longer than expected," Hatter explained shortly, leading me around the table until we were at the seat that sat next to the head of the table. He finally unfolded his arm and took my hand in his as he pulled out the chair and helped me sit.

Despite wanting to know what was really going on, I smiled at his chivalry, "Thank you, Hatter. You're very generous."

He grinned and clapped his hands merrily before sitting at the head of the table. I looked the other way to see Mallymkun, Chessur, and Nivens taking a seat at the table also, the March Hare still standing high on the table as he began pouring their tea from at least three feet above the teacups.

I turned back to the Hatter, beaming when I saw that he was already pouring me a cup of tea, also.

"Now…about this tragic news…" I began.

"You know…" he cut me off, pouring himself a cup before setting the pot down. He grabbed his small plate with one hand and the handle of the cup with the other. He leaned forward close to me, "You have a certain…certainness about you." He sipped his drink.

I blinked and picked up my cup as well, "A certainness?"

"Yes. You've changed, yet you still have your…youness."

I couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped my lips from his words, "Is it my muchness?"

His eyes grew wider with excitement at the fact that I remembered, "Perfect!"

We became silent with each other, sipping our tea and enjoying each others company. There was a lot of commotion going on down at the other end of the table. Bread was getting thrown everywhere, teacups were being smashed, tea was staining the tablecloth…but we were in each others world for the moment.

His eyes…it was that feature of him that I missed the most. Always so curious and unlocked…like he had nothing to hide and didn't want to hide anything. You don't find people like that in the real world…so unworried about their secrets. They felt like they had to bottle them up inside; show no one their true self.

He blinked inquiringly, no doubt spotting something of what I was thinking. I blushed and looked away, silently wishing I could be as open about my feelings as he.

"So this news…" I tried to begin…"Is it—."

"After tea, after tea," he waved it off, "Tea Time is too good and valuable to be wasted by telling bad stories."

I wanted to comment on how he told me earlier that he would inform me over tea, but didn't want to press it. Apparently this news was _really _bad if he kept putting it off. And he was right…the tea was too good to ignore the goodness of it by disrupting it.

A large glob of cream landed in between us, breaking us of our moment. We both looked down the table again to see the Cheshire Cat appearing and reappearing in order to avoid some messy situations, while the White Rabbit only ducked under the table every now and again. I smiled at the scene, taking a modest sip of tea that never tasted the same twice.

* * *

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed! I was NOT expecting that many reviews. You guys got me all excited and flustered at once…I hope I don't disappoint any of you as this story progresses. And it seems like a good majority of you want me to stick with Alice calling Hatter "Hatter" but with "Tarrant" used on certain, serious occasions. I can arrange that!

Thanks again!


	3. Dark Blue

_**Mood Rings**_

_**III.**_

We had walked away from the tea party, leaving the rest of the guests behind. Hatter said he could have told me at the table, but preferred not having any interruptions. He didn't want to hear all their carrying on or have someone else tell me the details before he got to. It really had me worried to see how serious he was about this bad news.

After having walked some distance, I spotted a log and sat on it, feeling slightly worn out and drained. I had just, after all, got on solid ground again after having been sailing for almost a week straight, and falling down that rabbit hole didn't lessen the strain on my body either. I smiled at Hatter as he took a seat beside me, before turning my attention momentarily to the evening sky. It was a pale, dark blue. And as I saw this color so vividly, I thought…what a strange contradiction.

"Oh Alice…" Hatter began, his voice sounding so relieved that I turned back to him, "You have no idea how happy you have made me upon your return. I…I wish I could describe it in perfect words to you how I feel!" He voice rose as he made himself flustered. My head snapped up to stare at him when he stood all of a sudden, beginning to pace back and forth, "The sun would not be the sun without its brightness and a hat cannot be a perfect hat without the perfect possessor!"

I reached out for his hand to stop him before he went too far. As he looked down at me, I saw his eyes were a beautiful blue-green…the color of the ocean as the sun's setting. If his eyes were at all like a mood ring, then that meant his inner emotions were charged. His mind was in turmoil.

He sat down next to me as quickly as he had stood. He took my hand that I had used to grab him and began tracing my palm with his index and middle finger. I blinked a few times as he did this, wondering why he was staring so hard at my palm. Was he reading it?

"The Red Queen has escaped," he finally let the bad news out. My mouth opened in a silent gape, not sure how to respond to this sudden announcement. He wouldn't look up at me, focusing too hard on my hand, "I was at the White Queen's castle, making the most glorious of hats…! When she came to me saying she got news of her sister having escaped."

"B-but…how?" I managed to get out, too numb to take my hand away from him to make him look at me. Besides…what he was doing…it felt good…way too good for a finger touching my hand. What was he doing to me…?

"Don't know. But she told the White Rabbit to go find you immediately and since it has been foretold that the Red Queen was to come to the White Queen's castle, she did not want me to stay there."

I closed my eyes, still focusing on what he was saying…but feeling too relaxed to give the panic response that I should have been giving.

"I told her I would stay and fight by her side, but she said that once again, you…Alice…are our only hope. So I came to Underland's entrance to await your return."

I opened my eyes slowly. I saw that he was finally looking at me, his fingers slowing down over my palm. His eyes were sad as he asked, "Alice, why didn't you come back before this?"

His question was simple enough, but he had the kind of mind that would be hard to explain my answer to. It would be like trying to answer a child's question but all you kept getting back was "but why?" I'm not trying to say that Hatter's like a child, far from it, but his mind held a great madness and innocence that wouldn't accept (excuse my language) half-ass answers.

As I stared at him, trying to find some sort of satisfactory response, I watched, literally _witnessed _his eyes changing. His normal green began appearing around the centers, but as the green expanded, it slowly turned into a bright blue before settling into a dark cerulean color.

Dark blue meant…

I held up my right hand to his cheek. Though I'm sure my action may have looked more loving than I intended, I merely meant to compare my mood ring with his eyes. It was the same color.

But I was feeling…

"Alice?"

"You have the most beautiful…" But I stopped myself from finishing my sentence. He had the most beautiful what? I premeditated that I was going to say "eyes" but as I thought about it, there were so many more things about him that could have ended the sentence: soul, spirit, voice, laugh, hat, emotions…

"Well, well, well…what a touching scene."

I snapped my head away from Hatter, only then realizing our closeness. We both stood to our feet quickly when we saw that it was the Knave of Hearts himself. He sat atop a large black horse, wearing black from head to toe. He still had the patch over his left eye, though it was no longer a heart-shaped patch; just a simple round one.

"What do you want?" I asked in a fairly even tone, though my vision became momentarily blocked from him when Hatter stood in front of me.

He swung his leg over his horse before jumping to the ground. His seven foot six stance made us both seem like midgets. He grinned, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Run, Alice," Hatter told me, not even turning around, "I'll deal with him."

My eyes immediately focused on the large sword that was at the Knave's side. My nostrils flared at his absurd demand, "Are you mad?!"

He looked over his shoulder at me with a grin.

I had no way to argue with that.

"Don't bother," the Knave said, continuing to take slow steps toward us, knowing how intimidated we were. The Jack of all Asses. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to help you."

"Why should we believe you?!" I yelled, the Hatter's news finally beginning to sink in as my panic and anger rose.

Hatter held up his hand for me to stop. He took his own step toward the Knave, "I know the perfect way to test this!" He stood a mere three steps away from the tall man, "If you can answer this riddle, then I know you're telling the truth."

Knave looked at Hatter with almost noninterest. He sighed, "Well, go on with it."

"How…!" Hatter began, throwing his pointer finger into the air as though he just made a terrific discovery, "is a raven like a writing desk?"

I'm not sure how that riddle had anything to do with testing the Knave's honesty, but if Hatter didn't want to believe Knave either way, this was the way to go about it.

Knave crinkled his nose, "What an absurd question…"

I went up to stand off to the side of the two of them. I watched Hatter's smirk grow, "So you can't answer it?"

Sighing, Knave closed his eyes, probably wondering why he was even bothering. When he opened them, he stared straight at Hatter, "Is it that they both have legs?"

Hatter opened his mouth wide to respond that it was incorrect, but upon hearing this answer, he shut it quickly. He turned to me like he expected me to do or say something to contradict it. But well…it _was _true…

"Well, since it seems I have solved your stupid little riddle, I'll get onto more serious matters," he gave Hatter an unusual glance before turning to me, "The Red Queen and I have not been on good terms since our imprisonment together. The whole time, she had been looking for a way to escape…she was always boasting about how she was going to leave me to rot alone. But when her chance came, I got my chance also. I wasn't about to pass it up and still, once we were free, she asked me to be by her side once again as she overthrows the White Queen to gain her kingdom back."

I looked at him with mistrust, "And you just said no?"

"How could I say yes? She lost once, I'm sure she will lose again," he paused, thought for a moment, then came closer to me, "I know this because you're here. You're—."

He reached out for me but I jerked away, not wanting him to touch me.

"So what am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Why…fight for the good of Underland, of course." He smiled. I didn't like his smile. I sensed, nor saw, no truth behind it.

I swallowed, "And you?"

"Fight along side you."

I looked around him at Hatter, wondering why he got so quiet all of a sudden. He was still standing in the same spot he was in when he was talking to the Knave, his head bowed with his hat covering his face.

"Look, we'll…we'll think about," was all I said to the Knave. I'm not really sure what kind of response that was to his statement, but it was all I could think of. I walked around him to where Hatter stood, "Hatter?"

He didn't look up at me, but turned in my direction, "I didn't tell you this yet, but…lately, I've been contemplating on words that begin with the letter S."

I bit my bottom lip. I wondered if he went directly through the alphabet when he did this, or just jumped around.

"_Sssss…" _He hissed, almost like a snake, but it also reminded me of how he pronounced my name earlier that day, "Sorrow…"

I leaned forward to try to get a better look at his face, "Why are you sad?"

"My riddle of infinite impossibilities…" he lifted his head only slightly, but far enough where I could almost fit my head under the rim of his hat, "_Sssss—_solved."

My eyes softened, "Hatter, your riddle hasn't been solved. Sure, Knave's answer may have been true, but I believe there's an even _deeper _connection between a raven and a writing desk. One that no one will ever know…" I paused, "except for the raven or writing desk themselves."

He smiled that bright, beautiful smile that no one else in either world could ever mimic, _"Ssss_uperb!!

I giggled at his sudden use of S words. Did he just then start contemplating S words or was it like he said; that _lately _he has. Then again, how much lately can you get than now?

I reclaimed myself and sighed, "So what are we going to do?"

"Go to the White Queen's castle! Break down the doors! Capture the Red Queen and bind her! And then…" he clapped his hands together once, "Oh, what _fun _I will have making hats for that bulbous head of hers!" I laughed but that seemed to bring him to a realization, "That reminds me!"

When he didn't continue, I asked, "Reminds you of what?"

"That I…no wait, wait, wait…I don't want to tell you."

I smile and tap him playfully on the arm, "Oh, come on! You can't play that cruel little joke on me! That's not nice, Hatter."

"Ah, but it's a surprise, dear Alice!" he countered, getting dangerously close to my face so that I could see the many wave lengths of color in his eyes, "Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now would we?"

Before I could respond, the Knave spoke from behind me, "Have you two no sense of urgency? Must we not be getting to the Queen's castle now?"

I turned around to stare at him, not sure if I should be concerned at his enthusiasm. I looked to the sky, noticing that it turned to a blacked violet. Noticing this made me realize that it was getting hard to see what was in front of me.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning," I declared, reaching back and grabbing my hair, suddenly feeling as though I needed a bath, "If we make good time, we should arrive at the Queen's castle by early evening tomorrow."

The Knave sighed but walked over to his horse, "Fine."

I smiled shyly at Hatter, "So umm…is there a lake around here I could clean up in?"

"I happen to know thee _perfect _lake," he pointed to the left and began speed talking, "Go-straight-for-about-a-quarter-mile-turn-left-turn-right-turn-left-go-straight-down-a-hill-through-the-bushes-and…there it will be."

My head spun as I tried to remember everything he just said. I looked off in the direction he pointed, but I couldn't even see ten feet in front of me. I was glad it was dark, though, as I could feel my face heat up, "Come with me?"

His eyes glowed brightly through the darkness, "Of course."


	4. Silver Tint

**Mood Rings**

_**IV.**_

I followed him through the forest, hoping this lake was as far away from the Knave as it sounded. Although he just came to us and told us of his desire to be on our side, I still didn't feel right about the whole thing. I wanted to ask Hatter how he felt about it, but we had already reached the clearing about time I decided this.

"Here we are," he stated, pushing one last turquoise colored branch to the side. I shot a smile at him as I walked past him, studying the surrounding area. It was open, with no trees to block the moonlight from shining down, and multiple fireflies flashed throughout.

"I assume the water should be warm," Hatter said, walking around me to the lake before dipping his hand in. I crossed my arms over my chest, wondering how I was going to ask him nicely if he could wait somewhere close…but not too close. I may have been twenty-two, but I had yet to allow any man to see me naked and wasn't sure what I would do if the situation arose.

"Too bad I didn't think to bring soap," I said nervously.

"Ah! No fear, my dear!" He cried happily as he opened up one side of his dark coat and searched for something. Wondering what he had up his sleeve for me, my curiosity carried me closer to him. "Here it is!" He pulled his hand out and held up a small object the size of the cake that made me grow larger.

"What's that?" I stepped closer, reaching out my hand to take it.

"Uh-uh-uh," he shook his index finger at me teasingly, as though to tell me I shouldn't go around snatching things. I withdrew my hand, feeling a bit childish, but still smiling as his manner, "Watch."

He leaned down to the lake again before gently putting the small object in the water. And as suddenly as a rain shower began on an April afternoon, bubbles appeared all over the lake.

I laughed giddily when I saw this, "That little thing was soap?" I reached down and scooped up a handful for bubbles and brought it to my nose, inhaling the fragrance that smelled like black tea and cinnamon.

"You like it," I couldn't tell if he was asking or simply stating, but I hardly ever heard him sound so happy. I glanced up at him, seeing his green eyes glow from the light of the moon.

"I love it," I confirmed, mostly happy that the bubbles would hide me even more in the water.

"Wonderful," and I was surprised when he suddenly turned and began to walk away.

Panicking, not sure if he planned on going all the way back to where the Knave was or not, I called out before I could stop myself, "Don't go too far!" I blushed lightly when he turned back around, "I mean…you can stay. Just don't peek."

"I would never dream of it, Alice," he said, which made me wonder if he was being nice by saying he wouldn't violate my privacy or if he was saying he would never want to see me naked. I watched as he sat against a tree and brought his hat down further over his eyes to let me know he wasn't looking and I was free to take my bath.

I couldn't help but stare at him for a few seconds, wondering why I felt perturbed that he relented so easily. Not wanting to dwell on it, I quickly stripped myself down, hardly taking the time to neatly place my clothes before practically running into the lake. I was thankful the water was warm…the cold probably would have made me scream.

I ducked underneath the bubbles, the smell invading my senses. I closed my eyes, wondering why my world didn't have such glorious scents as this. It reminded me of a very exotic tea. And then I found myself thinking that this is probably what the Hatter smelled like. If I got close enough to him…and really let myself get lost in the moment…I'm sure that this is what it would be like. Warm, fresh, and exotic. I opened my eyes slowly to see him in the same position. He really wasn't peeking…

"This smells lovely," I called out, wincing inwardly at my sudden outburst.

"Thank you!" he replied, still not lifting his head, "I put the scents in the soap myself."

"You can do that?" I asked curiously, dipping my head back slightly to get my hair wet.

"But of course! I just added some tea leaves, thick mud, three rotten eggs, a few fried worms, and a bat's wing."

After having drunk the potion that made me smaller and realizing exactly what was in it, thanks to the White Queen, I was far from horrified with what I was bathing in, "I smell cinnamon in here."

He finally looked up, though I'm sure it was by accident and he just got excited, "Ah yes! That was the final ingredient…a pinch of cinnamon."

"A pinch?" I laughed, running both my hands back through my thick hair, "Smells like a cinnamon roll bake shop in here."

I saw him smile…but he didn't look away. I boldly met his stare, though I'm sure he didn't plan on starting a staring contest. He was looking me in the eyes, but I had the feeling he was looking past that…he seemed deep in thought and I began wondering what was going through that mad mind of his.

And it was sad that only then did I realize exactly how much I missed him. No one in my world ever quite got me, save for my father, so I never did feel accepted. One of my fondest memories of my father was when he would tell me I was mad bonkers when I would tell him of a strange thought or idea I had. He would always wink at me afterwards, telling me silently that he respected that.

Hatter was on the same page as me…he may have seemed very strange and mad to people who didn't understand him, but to me, I found that his emotions were really strong and sometimes got the better of him. I was the same way, which is why my mother always told me to keep my mouth shut if I felt the need to speak my mind.

"What do you think the Knave is up to?" I asked, quickly wishing I could take it back. The Knave was the last person I wanted to talk about.

He blinked, twice, four times, five...then he slapped both of his hands on either side of his hat, "I don't like it!" He yelled, as though he were suddenly getting tortured, "It's a trick! It's a trick and we're falling for it! The Queen…the Red Queen planned this…all of it! She knows you're back!" He quickly stood to his feet and raised his arm in a victory pose, "Down with her! Forever!"

"Hatter!" I yelled, trying to calm him down. I stood up a little in the water, thankful the bubbles were clinging to me. I knew I shouldn't have brought this up and upset Hatter.

He stopped and stared at me again. I blushed and slowly sunk myself down. His eyes seemed larger than usual, an almost silver tint that made me realize he still held the fear he invoked in himself.

He took a step towards the lake, his frozen facial expression worrying me. He took another few steps toward me. Though I was covered by the bubbles, my arms still instinctively wrapped around myself. When he didn't stop coming forward, I couldn't help but become a little nervous.

"Hatter, what are you—?"

"_Sssshhhhhh," _he hushed through his teeth violently, putting his finger over his mouth. I stopped talking immediately, looking around to see why he was shushing me. I realized I didn't see any of the fireflies anymore. I looked back at him, alarm suddenly setting in. The fear in my heart told me to run to him, but my embarrassment of being unclothed kept me where I was.

"Do you hear that?" he asked me finally. I strained my ears to try to pick up on whatever he was listening to, but all I could hear was my heavy heartbeat. I swallowed roughly, trying to get my emotions under control.

Then suddenly, I heard it. It sounded like metal clanking together…almost how a jar full of pennies would sound. Then as it got slightly louder, it brought to mind pots and pans being pounded together. And then as the rhythm became more in tune, it started to sound like an army in metal uniforms marching toward us.

My eyes widened as memories from my last trip to Underland came to me. That wasn't just any army coming toward us…

"Come here, Alice," the Hatter told me, already taking off his brown trench coat. The adrenaline pumping through my veins finally brought me out of the lake and I ran toward the Hatter, gladly allowing his large coat to wrap around my body.

As soon as he had his arms around my shoulders to secure it properly and I slipped my arms through the sleeves, we were surrounded. I felt him pull me closer, but my mind was mostly on a large deck of metal cards that glared at us menacingly from all directions. I recalled the last time I came to Underland when the Hatter was trying to take me to the White Queen's castle but he flung me on his hat when the army began to approach. I thought he was so brave to save me like that and quietly surrender to the evil red and black objects.

This time seemed a little different, however, for he couldn't just toss me to safety. But I knew I would much rather stay by his side this time around. And another thought that was going through my head, was…

"The Knave was in on this. He told the army where we were," I said as they began to close in on us.

"Of course," Hatter confirmed, standing even closer to me and making the coat tighter around me as though the army could see through it, "I had no doubt right from the very beginning."

"You should have just agreed to come to the Queen's castle tonight and none of this would have happened," we heard a deep voice say from amongst the cards. Many of them separated as the Knave came through on his horse, looking down at us with victory.

I opened my mouth to yell at him, but stopped when the Hatter whispered in my ear, "Let's just go, Alice. We were planning on heading there anyway."

I turned to look up at him in shock, but then recognized that he had a point. But before we could discuss it any further, four of the cards stepped forward and grabbed each of our arms to make us their prisoners.

"Sorry I keep interrupting your precious moments," the Knave said unapologetically, "guess it just wasn't meant to be."

I glared at him as the cards brought me closer, and though it was quite improper, I sucked in the sides of my cheeks, puckered my lips to get as much saliva as I could muster, and spit right in his face.

I heard the Hatter laugh madly at this, the high-pitched giggle echoing throughout the clearing. The Knave stared down at me in disbelief, probably wondering how such a lady could do such a thing. But just as I thought he wasn't going to do anything about it, he told the cards that were holding me while still looking at me, "Knock her out."

My eyes widened and I heard the Hatter scream my name before everything went black.

* * *

First off, I wanted to say I'm sorry for the slight delay. I have four big tests coming up and though I should've spent the time I was writing this chapter studying, I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. So I'm also sorry for the slight shortness of it. Thought it was a good spot to stop though. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, I switched my story over to the new Alice in Wonderland, 2010 section.


	5. Lilac

**Mood Rings**

_**V.**_

_If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what it is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?_

My eyes were blurry with wetness as I tried to open them. It felt like I was just awakening from a two hour sleep when I had stayed up for forty-eight hours prior. I tried to focus, but all I could see was white, like it was surrounding me, and I began to think that this is what Underland's heaven looked like.

"Alice?"

See? Only in heaven would such a sweet voice be saying my name. I was going to be welcomed now, and told I would never have anymore worries.

My eyes opened more, but I immediately regretted it when a sharp pain shot through my head. I think it was my first experience with a real migraine. Maybe this wasn't heaven…

"Alice, are you okay?"

I groaned and turned onto my back, glad there was a slight cushion beneath my head. I tried squinting my eyes open again, the Hatter only being a haze as he looked down at me.

"Mm…Hatter?" I brought my hand up to my forehead, "My head hurts."

"I can imagine," he responded, taking my hand away from my head so he could look at it. Though I'm sure he wouldn't have purposely made it hurt any worse, my internal instincts wanted to keep my head from anymore harm so my fingers gripped around his hand.

"What happened?" I asked, turning my head toward him. It was only then that I realized my head was resting in his lap and we were on the floor.

"Well…" he lingered for a moment, "after you performed that glorious action of shooting out an impressive amount of saliva in the Knave's face, he had you knocked out."

I covered my eyes now, embarrassed that he had to see me do that, "And then what?"

I felt his body shrug, "Then I got knocked out, too. I just came to a little before you," he stopped and when I uncovered my eyes to look at him, he was grinning, "Why, I do believe I just made a rhyme."

Despite our situation, I grinned and, knowing my headache wouldn't go away any time soon, forced myself to sit up. Right away, I felt my clothing fall off my shoulders and down to my waist. It was only then did I realize I was still only clad in Hatter's jacket. Because it was slightly large for me, it slithered off if I didn't hold it on.

I gasped and quickly pulled it back up. I was happy my back was facing him when it happened, but I still felt my skin heat up with an all over blush. My fingers gripped the jacket in front of me now, and when I didn't hear him say anything, I shyly looked over my shoulder.

His eyes were a soft lilac color…the shade of lucidity, or sensuality. I blushed harder.

"You have the most beautiful back I've ever seen."

I did a double take over my shoulder, my eyes widening that he would even say something like that. Of course, it wasn't helping my blush disappear any faster, but at the same time…that was the best compliment I've ever received.

"What…what an absurd thing to say," was how I responded gently, though inwardly kicked myself as soon as I did.

I brought my knees up to my chest, feeling the restraint from the shackle that was around my right ankle.

"Oh, great; so we're prisoners?" I sighed and stood up anyway, making sure to squeeze the jacket around me to maybe help lessen my feeling of vulnerability.

"So it would seem," Hatter replied, standing also, "And this is worse than last time I was held in shackles by the Red Queen! At least that time I was able to make as many hats as my hands desired, but here…!" he spun around with his arm outstretched, but got twisted in his shackle and tripped.

I looked around, silently agreeing with him. There was _nothing _in this bright white room. Well, there was a single full-length mirror in the corner, but that was it. I shuffled over to it, standing right in front of it to study the bruise on my head. It was located at the corner of my forehead, so my hair was mostly covering it. Speaking of my hair, it was all over the place. I remembered that I dunked it in the lake and didn't dry it properly to make it looked behaved. My eyes wandered down the rest of me, my body looking smaller than usual in Hatter's jacket.

I watched him walk up behind me. Our eyes met in the mirror when he asked again, "You okay?"

I forced a small smile, "Yeah, it's only a small bump. It should go away soon."

I turned around to face him so he could agree with me. He surprised me, however, when he grabbed my upper arms and leaned in to press his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes as my breathing hitched. I leaned in closer as though we were actually kissing each other. I was close enough to him to breathe in his scent like I imagined doing when I was in the lake. It was true; he did smell like exotic tea leaves and cinnamon…and maybe something sweet…like crème brûlée.

"Alice! How sweet it is to see you again!"

The loud, airy voice caused me to quickly step away from the Hatter as though we had been caught doing something inappropriate by my mother. But when my eyes fell upon the large, over-exaggerated smile of the White Queen, my mind automatically thought she was the best person that could have walked in now. She would surely set us free!

I ran over to her, or at least as fast as I could with the shackle around my ankle. I thought about embracing her, but stopped right before I did. She still held an aura about her that seemed too mystical to intrude by touching her like that.

"Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see _you!" _I quickly turned around to the Hatter, "I _knew _we wouldn't be here long!"

Hatter clapped as he walked over to us, "Fantastic! As you can see, My Queen, we've been a little…held up." He pointed to our feet.

The White Queen's eyes lowered to the floor, a dainty hand gently covering her mouth, "Oh my! How tragic!" She quickly reclaimed herself, however, as her hands went back to the each side of her head, her index fingers and thumbs touching ever-so-slightly, "You know, I think I have just the thing for that." Hatter and I watched as she reached into a pocket of her white dress, "Ah, yes…here it is!"

I clapped along with Hatter this time as she revealed a key. Of course, I wanted to know why we were chained up in the first place and why _she _held the key to our freedom, but I figured I'd find that out later. My ankle was getting sore in its bind.

She gracefully kneeled down and slipped the key into the hole, the pressure around my ankle instantly being relieved. I bent my knee so I could reach behind me and rub my ankle back to perfect health.

"Thank you so much," I said with a smile, waiting for her to free Hatter.

"No problem, Dear! Now let's go find something apt for you to wear. You look absolutely _comical _right now!" She giggled quickly and turned to walk out the door she had entered so quietly.

I stared after her strangely before turning back to Hatter, wondering if he knew why she didn't release him. By the shocked expression on his face, I guessed that he was just as lost as me.

"Um…aren't you going to undo Hatter's shackle, too?" I asked, feeling slightly awkward for having to even ask.

"Hm?" she practically twirled around, her carefree smile still on her lips, "Oh, well…yes, of course. But let's find something for you to wear first."

I narrowed my eyebrows, beginning to sense a wrongness, "No."

She cocked her head to the side and blinked, "No?"

I stood by Hatter, "No. I'm not leaving this room without him."

She stared at me and smiled larger as though that would make me change my mind. She must have stared at me with that blank smile for a good minute before she finally sighed, "Well, if you insist."

The White Queen brought the key forth again and kneeled down to undo the chain around the Hatter's ankle.

"Thank you…" I said again, though with not as much enthusiasm.

"Now come along," she said politely before turning to lead us out of the empty room.

I looked at Hatter, his large green eyes that showed a small ocher tint making me look at my mood ring to see it too was turning amber. I reached over and grabbed his hand, trying to reassure both of us.

"I don't know exactly what's going on, but we'll be okay…right?" I asked, hoping he would just agree with me.

However, he shook his head, "The Knave already said that the Red Queen has invaded the White Queen's castle. And by the looks of this room…" we both looked around at the whiteness, "this _is _the White Queen's castle. I'm afraid a terrible, horrible, awful, dreadful, appalling, sadistic, vicious, brutal…"

"Hatter!"

"…trick is being played on us."

I bit my bottom lip and looked toward the door, "Well…I guess we're not going to find out anything by staying in here."

He nodded, "Agreed. Let's go." He gave my hand a tight squeeze before we walked out to follow the White Queen and whatever she might be leading us into.

"Maybe she's just an illusion," I whispered to Hatter so the White Queen, who was about fifteen feet in front of us, wouldn't hear.

"An illusion? What kind of fairytale are you living?" He asked, though I sensed a joking hint to it.

I pursed my lips, silently scolding him for not taking this seriously, "This is hardly any kind of fairytale I've ever read."

He leaned closer to me as he whispered this time, "She might've been forced to do something, you know? Maybe she wants to try to keep us safe while keeping herself safe at the same time."

"Why, that sounds…!" I stopped and looked at him. I guess my mind must have been expecting him to say something truly out there, but when his words finally set in, I gave him a surprised look, "completely normal and relevant."

"Here we are!" the White Queen exclaimed, stopping right outside of another room, "Come along, Alice, let's find you a pretty dress."

Hatter and I quickened our pace to get to the room quicker, turning into it to find a small wardrobe of dresses. I tried to hide my disappointment when I saw that they were all white.

"Which one, Dear?" she asked.

I looked through them quickly, not wanting to seem too picky with a dress I probably (or hopefully) wouldn't be wearing that long. I just grabbed one and went behind a curtain to change as fast as I could.

"Hatter?" I asked from behind the curtain as I was trying to get the dress situated.

"Yes, Alice?" he called back.

"Just making sure you were still there," I answered. I didn't feel comfortable with him out of my view just by the lack of interest the White Queen held in freeing him.

When I finally got the dress to be the way it was supposed to, I flung Hatter's jacket over my arm and pushed the curtain aside to step out and show my new look. I chose the simple silk dress that dropped to my ankles and hung low on my shoulders.

The Hatter's smile grew large, "Divine!"

I smiled shyly and walked toward him, finally handing his jacket back to him, "Thank you for being so kind as to lend this to me."

"Anything for you, Alice," he said as he put his jacket on, buttoning it from bottom to top.

I stepped closer to fix his collar, folding it over and smoothing it out, "Charming!"

"Okay, you're ready now," the White Queen said as she again walked out of the room. What we were ready for, we were soon to find out.

* * *

I found time to write another chapter for you guys! I would have felt so bad if I went one more day without doing it.

So I figured I'd share a funny story with you…

I don't know how many of you knew this, but back in the late 70's, an Alice in Wonderland porn was made. I heard it recently got "remade" but anyway, there was something about the old porn I found absolutely hilarious. And no…I never watched it, I just heard about it. Anyway, Alice (who is of legal age of course) ends up at the Tea Party where all the mad people and critters are. Well, if you remember, in the original Alice all the characters at the tea party had numbers on their hats. Well, in the porn, Alice is talking to the Hatter. And Hatter's hat says something like "9 ½" and she asks, "What do those numbers mean?" And the Hatter smiles deviously and says "Wouldn't you like to know, my dear?" LOL. And then you can imagine where it goes from there…


	6. Golden Tan

**Mood Rings**

_**VI.**_

"It took you long enough, you fool!" We were greeted with this loud and whiny scream as soon as we walked through two large doors. I remembered the room to be where the White Queen's thrown was, but was not thrilled to see it was the Red Queen that sat upon the white chair.

She looked so out of place in the large room, for she was the only one with color. Her army wasn't surrounding her at the present time, which made me slightly nervous since I wasn't sure when they would just pop up.

"I do apologize, Iracebeth," the White Queen said as she curtsied only slightly, "I was having difficulties with—."

"And why is the Hatter here?! I asked specifically for Alice _only!_" her voice screeched and her face reddened. She stood from her seat and pointed directly at Hatter, "Stayne, deal with my incompetent sister's stupidity!"

"Yes, My Queen," and before we could react, Hatter was pushed away from me and handcuffed with his hands in front of him.

"Hatter!" I yelled but quickly looked to the White Queen, "_Do something!" _

She only smiled, "I do nothing to disobey the Red Queen."

I narrowed my eyes, so angry I barely noticed a red card grab my hands from behind. I whispered harshly, "What has been done to you?"

All of a sudden, the Hatter laughed hysterically. The sound echoed and bounced off all the walls in the huge thrown room, making everyone stop and stare at him.

"Stop that!" I barely heard the Red Queen yell, trying to outdo his loudness.

When he didn't stop, she became even more agitated, "Make him stop!"

As Stayne grabbed a long piece of cloth that he had strapped to his belt for some reason, I watched as Hatter abruptly stopped laughing, raised both his arms over his head, and swung down sideways to knock Stayne over the head.

My eyes widened at his bold move. Because the red card behind me thought it had to go to Stayne's rescue, it let go of me and began to go around me, but I put my leg out to trip it. Those things may be strong, but they fall very easily.

"Hatter!" I began to run toward him, but gasped when Stayne grabbed his leg and pulled it out from underneath him, sending him to the ground also.

"You think you can beat me just like that?" Stayne mumbled with disgust, standing and kicking Hatter in the side. Hatter curled himself up in protection in case any more blows were thrown his way. I don't know why I thought I had the strength, but I continued to run forward with my fist pulled back.

As soon as I swung it forward, I knew I didn't have much going for me. I never fist fought anyone and wasn't even sure where the best place to hit was. So I wasn't too surprised when Stayne caught my fist easily and twisted my arm around. I was once again held captive.

"Enough with all the dramatics!" The Red Queen yelled, stepping off the thrown to walk toward us with a powerful and angry demeanor, "Do you wish to obey me, Alice?"

"Never!" I yelled just as loudly as her, already tired of hearing her voice.

As she came even closer, Stayne said, "Watch out…she's a spitter."

"Disgusting!" Even with this warning, however, she got in my face, her huge head blocking everything else out, "If you don't want to obey me on your own free will…I'll just have to force it down your throat!"

"I'll never—," but before I could end my sentence, a small bottle was thrust into my mouth. My hair was being pulled which caused me to tilt my head back. I wanted to scream but the liquid in my mouth caused me to swallow instead. It only lasted a few seconds, but the burning sensation in my throat occurred immediately. I began coughing madly, trying to get my breath back, even when it felt like I was being held under water.

Stayne let my hands go. I dropped to my knees, coughing even harder to try to throw up whatever was just given to me.

"I bet your mind's beginning to change now, isn't it?" I heard the Red Queen boast.

My coughing started to slow down, but my brain began thinking harder. I assumed whatever she gave to me was supposed to make me want to obey her. I was frightened to think that at any moment, I could be on her side and I wouldn't have any willpower left in me to go against it.

_Resist, resist, resist, resist, resist…!_

"Well?"

Apparently, the Red Queen was getting impatient. Was the drink supposed to have an effect by now? If it was…I have to say, I didn't feel any differently. Maybe that wasn't what it was for. No…no, it had to be. She seemed too sure of herself when she thought she could change my mind. But why wasn't it working? Was I somehow immune to it?

"Say something!" the Red Queen demanded.

I blinked multiple times before closing my eyes. I knew I still had Stayne behind me and the Red Queen in front of me. I saw one red card in the room, so I knew others weren't very far away. Plus, if the White Queen was on her sister's side right now, the rest of her followers probably were too.

I sensed no way to escape at the present moment and was feeling desperate. What was going to happen to Hatter and I if the Red Queen found her trick didn't work on me?

"Is she dead or something?"

Before the Red Queen could say any more, I got to my feet. I kept my eyes down, however, for I was still too scared to look her in her eyes. If she found out I was lying, it was all over. I bowed, my heart racing faster with each second, "My Queen."

The room went silent. It stayed silent for far too long. I couldn't help myself; I became too curious of what was going on around me and had to raise my eyes. The Red Queen was staring at me with a cynical gaze.

She knows…

But as soon as I was about to fight again, she smiled with satisfactory, "Perfect. I see the fear in her eyes. She knows I'm her superior."

I held my ground and didn't move…not even when I heard the Hatter call my name.

"Give the hat man the potion now, Stayne," the Red Queen ordered, turning around to head back to the thrown.

"_NO!" _I screamed suddenly, my fists clenching at my sides. My nails dug into my palms, forcing myself to stay brave.

The Red Queen stopped and turned around slowly, doubt and anger written all over that large face, "Excuse me?"

I swallowed roughly, "What I mean is…"

When I didn't continue quick enough, she began to make her way back over to me, "What you mean is…?"

I thought quickly, "What I mean is…is he's mad! Completely and utterly mad! If you give him that potion…he's bound to go _insane! _So insane that…" I felt empowered when she actually looked interested, "that he might even try to take _you _over and be the King of Underland!"

Her eyes got wide, "_Him?! _The _King_?!" She looked around me to the Hatter. And though I didn't turn around, I could almost see that teasing smile of his. She looked to me again, "Never! Off with his head!"

"_No!" _I yelled again, getting very frustrated at trying to keep the Hatter normal and alive while acting like I was on the Red Queen's side, "H-he might still be useful. Let me talk to him. He likes me and I know I can easily change his mind."

The Red Queen smirked, "What a conceited girl you are. No matter…I kind of like it. You're smart, too."

_You have no idea how smart, you bulbous hag…_

"Very well. Take him to the mirror room, Stayne," she ordered, turning around once again to take her seat.

Before Stayne could lead Hatter out of the room, I turned around and instantly met Hatter's eyes. The golden tan color, telling me his energy was slowly rising to soon become rebellious, stood out in the white room. Something in my own eyes must have told him that I was still on his side, for he began laughing again.

Stayne grabbed the chain that dangled slightly from the handcuffs and lead him out of the room.

"Down with the Red Queen!" yelled Hatter, his voice sounding so deep it was like he was all powerful, "Chop off her head and use it as a beach ball! Only White will reign over all of the land…!" His loud voice carried from all the way down the hall before two red cards shut the big doors, leaving me in the room with some of the army, and the Red and White Queens.

I looked down at my mood ring to see it was the color of dirt; I was afraid…

"What is that on your finger?"

I snapped my head up, seeing the Red Queen at the end of the isle, sitting in a chair that was not hers.

"It's…a mood ring," I answered, not sure if it was worth lying about.

"A mood ring? Bring it here!" She ordered. Reluctantly, I walked forward, going past the White Queen that stood at the bottom of the steps I had to climb to reach the Red Queen. I shot a glance over at her, wondering if I could catch something in her to give me reason to believe she was still on the good side.

But her smile…rather it was fake or real…showed no signs of one way or the other.

I looked away from her and climbed the stairs. I held out my right hand for the Red Queen to see my ring.

She grabbed my hand roughly and held the ring very close to her face, "What an ugly colored rock! Why do you wear that?"

"It's…it's my favorite color. I love getting dirty," I was so happy she didn't like it, I didn't care what reason I came up with. I was worried she was going to end up taking it.

"Odd," she let go of my hand and stared at my body, "Mirana! Why in the world did you give her that ugly dress! I'm so tired of seeing white! Put her in a dirty dress if you must, _but no more white!"_

"Yes, Dear Sister," The White Queen curtsied again before beckoning me with her finger to tell me to follow her. Good, now I can get some alone time with her to figure out what side she was really on.

"Oh, and put her in something less constricting!" called the Red Queen after us, "The last thing I need is Stayne going around _oogling _her!"

* * *

So I went and saw Alice for the second time yesterday. Seemed even better the second time around. I noticed all the little stuff I didn't notice before. Anyway, I hope I didn't disappoint you guys with this chapter…I find it a bit strange for some reason. Love you guys!


	7. Madly Brilliant Green!

_**Mood Rings**_

_**VII.**_

I was lying awake in bed. I felt extremely cold and wished there was a fireplace in the room. The fire red nightgown that was waiting for me on my bed was very fine and light, and the sheets that were made up on the bed seemed to be made from the same material. How in the world were people able to sleep in such cold conditions?

Of course, this was the White Queen's castle. White is the color of snow. Maybe she just liked things to be cold and white. An odd way of thinking, yes, but as I thought back to the events that happened earlier, I can't shake my mind free of it all.

After the White Queen and I left the throne room, she led me down a few hallways that seemed to go on forever. We passed many closed doors along the way and I couldn't help but wonder if the Hatter was behind any of them. I felt almost certain that no real harm would be done to him while he was put away somewhere, but I knew he didn't like confined places and didn't want him to go madder.

"I'm sure Iracebeth would want you to have your own wardrobe since you will be permanently staying here," the White Queen informed me as she showed me what turned out to be my bedroom.

"But this is your castle," I told her, trying to see if anything I could say would give me a sign of whether she was good or bad.

She smiled absently, "Silly. Iracebeth of Crims is in power." She motioned for me to enter my bedroom and she walked over to a large walk-in closet, "Now you mustn't forget that, Alice. I know you've had a long and busy day, but that matters not to our queen."

I briskly walked to her, "White Queen…"

She lost her smile when I called her this, "Call me Mirana. There is only one queen."

I narrowed my eyes as she began to rummage through all the clothing, "Why are you saying that?"

Mirana turned to me with a scowl. I never seen her look so angry or vicious before, and it caused me to back off sooner than I intended. She quickly replaced the frown with a _very _fake smile, "Iracebeth is just and fair to those that follow her. You are doing the right thing by standing by her side. That's all she asks."

The conversation went no further than that. She gave me no reason to believe she was against her sister, yet at the same time, her loyalty seemed just as forced as mine.

I didn't come out of the bedroom the rest of the day. The risk of running into the Red Queen or Stayne kept me behind the closed door. I really had to think of a way to overthrow the Red Queen again and rescue Hatter.

But the problem was Hatter…I couldn't get my mind to focus on anything else but him. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he just as cold as I? Was he keeping himself from going over the edge?

Though I had no idea where he was taken, I couldn't take just laying there wondering anymore. I flipped the covers off me to feel the cold air hit my skin like a thousand knives. I shivered as I reached for the box of matches on the nightstand. I flicked one to make a small spark of fire before carefully putting it the wick of the candle. Once I had the light, I slipped my feet into a pair of slippers and quietly made my way out the door.

I didn't hear a single thing, which made me wonder if the Red Queen even had any of her guards roaming the halls at night. I made sure to be as quiet as I could as I began making my way down the first hallway, not having a single clue where I was going.

It was eerie to be walking around such a large place with only the flicker of a candle, but I tried my best to keep my heartbeat down to prevent from scaring myself.

"Looking for some….thing?" A questioning and teasing voice came out of nowhere and made me jump. I caught the scream in my throat and did a one-eighty while still trying to keep the candle from going out.

"Who's there?" I demanded, hating how shaky my voice sounded.

"Oh, come now, Alice…" suddenly, two large cat eyes appeared in front of me, "Surely you recognize my voice by now?"

I let out a large breath I didn't know I was holding, "Chessur…" the cat finally appeared fully with a sly grin, "Why do you always have to sneak up on people like that?"

He smiled larger, and slowly, almost lazily, turned upside down, "It's one of my best qualities…don't you think?"

I merely shrugged, but had to admit I felt a lot better being in the hallway with Chessur than by myself. Though he would probably just disappear if anyone were to come along, at least I had him for now.

"Do you know where Hatter is?" I asked, hoping he had been here longer than just to scare me.

Chessur rested his paws underneath his chin as he floated closer to me, "I _always _know where dear Tarrant is. I never lose track of him for an instant."

Ignoring how creepy that sounded, I brashly said, "Take me to him!"

Chuckling, the Cheshire Cat disappeared though his voice continued to linger in the air, "So demanding for a girl who just announced her loyalty to the Red Queen…"

I sighed, "Chess, you know I only did that to be able to stay here long enough to figure out how to overthrow her."

His eyes appeared once again, then the smile, "Oh? You mean the potion seriously didn't work on you?" He closed his eyes as he laughed again, leaving only the very large grin, "Interesting."

"Do you know why it didn't work on me?" I asked, though I was still much more interested in knowing where the Hatter was.

"Not at all, Dear Alice…" he finally reappeared and put his paw under his chin in thought, "Though I should say, it makes me quite curious…"

"Yeah, well…curiosity killed the cat," I mumbled, disappointed that he wasn't able to give me an answer, "Now if you could please take me to the Hatter, I need to see him very badly."

"This way," Chessur did a back flip in the air before floating down the hallway like an unsettled spirit. I picked up my pace in order to stay right behind him, knowing that he could disappear at a moments notice without telling me where he went. I was thankful, however, when it only took but a few minutes to reach the door Chessur said Hatter was behind.

"He will be quite happy to see you," Chessur grinned before sweeping his tail over his face and vanishing.

I gripped the doorknob and pushed, happily surprised to find it wasn't locked. When I had the door open, I peered into the dark room, trying to hold up the candle as far as I could.

"Hatter?" I whispered harshly, wondering how he could be in such a dark place by himself without being scared. I trusted Chessur enough to believe that Hatter really was in the room somewhere, but even so, I still felt a bit nervous.

I stepped further into the room, letting go of the door. I didn't know it would close by itself and jumped when it slammed behind me. Before I could reach out for it again, a voice behind me made me jump again.

"Alice!"

"Hatter!" I responded once I was able to swallow my yelp. I held the candle up to see his smiling face not too far from me.

"Alice, I made up a new rhyme story about the Red Queen!"

"Okay, but are—."

"He-Him Big-Head sat on a wall, He-Him Big-Head had a great fall. All the wicked, down-hearty, foolish…_kustafamtic…!" _He practically yelled the last word as he made himself angry. My eyes widened at this word, for though I didn't know what it meant, it sounded like a very terrible remark. After he got over his rage, he smiled and finished, "Couldn't put He-Him's big head back on again!"

"Hatter, why are you—."

"It's so nice of you to come and visit me, Alice. And you brought warmth! Even better," he motioned to the candle. It was only after he said this did I realize just how cold it was in this room. The bedroom I was staying in may have been chilly, but it was nothing compared to this.

"Take it," I made sure he had a grasp of the small candle plate before wrapping my arms around myself. The silk nightgown was giving me no warmth and the frosty air was making my breasts hurt.

"It's warmer against the wall," he told me, leading me to the right. Before, I was going to ask him why he was still in there if the door was unlocked, but as he moved, I heard the chain around his ankle once again

"Oh, Hatter…" I whispered, the thought of him being tied up wrenching my heart. I watched as he sat on the floor against the wall and put the candle close to his face to give a ghostlike glow.

"We can play finger puppets," though it seemed like it should be a playful thing to say, the tone of his voice made it seem like he was suggesting we commit a murder.

I sat down next to him and tried fiddling with the shackle, knowing right from the start that it would do no good, "I'll find the key tomorrow, Hatter. I'll get you out of this confinement."

"Ah, but that would be going against the Red Queen."

I shot my eyes to his face because the sincerity behind the statement threw me off. However, I saw the sly grin on his lips, "See? You're changing my mind already."

Though it wasn't really humorous at all, hearing that he was using my words I said earlier brought a small smirk to my face. I stopped messing with the chain, but stayed sitting on my knees beside him. My knees were touching his leg, which was somehow giving me the warmth I needed to stay focused.

"Hatter, what are we going to do? How are we going to get out of here?" I wished I was there to tell him I had a plan, for after all, I wasn't the one chained up in a dark room.

He looked into the flame, "I've been contemplating words that begin with the letter S."

I tried to smile briefly, "Still?"

Hatter nodded, "Yes, that's one. But there's also…_Ssss_subjilury."

I wrapped my arms around myself again. This word didn't seem as bad as that other one, "What's subjilury?"

He put the candle down on the other side of him before turning back to me. My breath got caught in my throat when I saw his hand come towards my face. His fingertips brushed my cheek before putting a thick curl behind my ear, "It means…happiness is within arms reach."

I'm not sure if it was the actual cold or his touch, but I shivered so hard I know he felt it. My eyes closed when even just the feel of his fingers on my face made the skin all over my body tighten and the butterflies in my tummy flutter.

"Alice."

I opened my eyes to see him staring into my soul. I unwrapped my arms from around my chest and scooted my legs out from underneath me so I was sitting on my side, my hand pressed to the floor to support my weight.

"A potion that can make you shrink…" he began. I blinked, finding it hard to think when he was still running his fingers over and behind my ear.

"A cake that can make you grow…" I continued subconsciously, my gaze locked onto his madly brilliant emerald eyes.

"Animals can talk…"

"Cats can disappear…"

"You defeated the Jabberwocky…"

My heart began pounding violently in my chest. Why was he looking at me like that…like he wanted…_needed…_me to say the right thing. Was he waiting for me to say that I would set him free and beat the Red Queen once and for all? I'm sure that's what was expected for the moment, but instead, what I heard come out of my mouth was:

"I came back to Wonderland to be with you."

His caress suddenly stopped. I saw his eyes widen. Without warning, he sat on his knees, the chain around his foot making a loud racket. I was snapped from my moment, somewhat due to the noise, but also to look around him at the candle to make sure he didn't knock it over.

"Alice!" My eyes went back to his when he called my name. He grabbed my face, much like how I grabbed his when he was forced to make hats for the Red Queen. He smiled so large that his lisp became slightly worse when he spoke again, "You mean that?"

"You were all I thought about for the past three years, Hatter…" I quickly rethought the last part, "Tarrant…" Finally hearing his name come from my lips was foreign, yet it made my stomach tumble once again from delight.

His face took on a warm glow, "What an unexpected turn of events!" He hopped to his feet, the dismay I felt already sinking in from the loss of him being so close. "It was such a galacust day before, but then you announce that you will be staying in Underland for good! This deserves a small dose of futterwacken!"

"Hatter, you're chained, you—," but before I could warn him anymore, he tried to begin that entertainingly silly dance but tripped before he could reach his first spin. He fell on his back and I tried to hide my giggle behind my hand. When he didn't get up, I crawled over to him and looked down at his still smiling face.

"You should really learn to just go with the moment instead of getting so excited all the time," I said teasingly, my voice just barely above a whisper. I grabbed his hat that had fallen from his head when he hit the floor and put it on myself. I grinned and chuckled when the hat turned out to be too big for me and fell over my eyes.

He finally sat up and lifted the hat just an inch to peak under, "What moment?"

I blushed and pushed the hat back down to cover my eyes. I was getting shy with him, but I blamed it on my inexperience more than being nervous _because _of him. I'm almost ashamed to say that I never even kissed a boy. Sure, there were some crushes I had when I was in my mid-teenage years, but they were quick to disappear once they found out how bizarre I was.

"Are you playing the "if I don't see you, then you don't see me" game?" he asked.

I giggled softly and nodded, though he probably just saw his hat bouncing up and down.

"Hm…well then…" his voice suddenly took on that deep tone that sent shivers down my spine. He went to lift up the hat again, "I see—." But I never let him finish his sentence. So as to not make things awkward or for me to lose my nerve, I leaned forward and pressed my lips onto his.

I couldn't tell you what I was really thinking in that moment, except for how warm his lips were. I had my eyes squeezed tightly shut, for it was the proper way to kiss, right? With your eyes closed. Curious me, though…I couldn't help but wonder what the Hatter looked like as I was kissing him. I slowly began to open my eyes and was surprised to see him already staring back at me.

I broke the kiss and sat back on my heels, my blush traveling from my cheeks, down to my neck, to flow over the rest of my body in a perfect fashion.

The chain dangled as he scooted closer to me, placing his free leg on the other side of me so I was in between his legs. He lifted the hat off me and I managed to smile shyly at him. After setting his hat to the side, I felt his hands gently squeeze me at my waist.

"What a mad, w_onderful _Alice you are…" his voice remained deep and the air of sexuality that could only be his clouded my vision. How badly I wanted him to touch me…

I leaned in to kiss him again, both of us keeping our eyes open this time. It was only a brief kiss, however, as I then wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his neck, "I promise I'll get you out of here as soon as I can."

His hands moved up to my ribs. The nightgown I wore was so thin, it was almost like he was touching my bare skin, "I would put up with being chained if I can see you like this every night."

My smile grew larger and I snuggled into him a bit more. Tomorrow, I swore, I would do everything in my power to get the Red Queen to free him so he didn't have to stay down here by himself. And if not tomorrow, it would still be like Hatter said: I would visit him every night until we were boundless.

* * *

I bet you guys weren't expecting this chapter, were you? ^_^ I felt so bad about the last chapter that I had to figure out a way to make it up to you.

One of the "small" things I noticed as I watched Alice for the second time, was that the Hatter actually did contain a hint of dark sexiness to him. After I came out of the theater the first time, I only saw him as the silly Hatter that had his outburst moments. But the second time opened my eyes a little. I'm like…hmm…I bet he would be wildly mad knockin' boots.

I heard some talk from some people about how they couldn't think of the Hatter in any sensual or sexual way and since I said I thought that way before, I was going to hardly add anything of that nature to my story. However, my plans have taken a turn (for the better?) and I hope you guys will be pleased with it.

Oh, and to Bluenewt113: Thank you so, so, so much for pointing out that spelling mistake! I couldn't believe I completely looked over that! And what's more horrible, I said "thrown" twice! ::blushes:: Twiddle sticks! And I've been so anal with checking everything before I posted!


	8. No Colors This Time

**Mood Rings**

_**VIII.**_

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!"

I sat upright in bed so quickly, it took me a long moment to even realize where I was. My mind whirled with the possibilities, even when I saw Mirana glide into my room and swing the curtains to each side of the window. The sunlight that poured in seemed to scorch my eyes and I had to immediately throw my head back down and cover it with a pillow.

"Alice, really now. Just because you get to stay in a royal palace doesn't mean you get to sleep all day," Mirana scolded gently, though still with her air of gaiety, "Iracebeth has been waiting for you for some time now."

I slowly pulled the pillow off my face to look at her. I had no idea what time of the day it was exactly, but I felt like I only got a few hours of sleep. I had stayed with Hatter almost all night, hating the thought of leaving him alone in that cold room. We had talked mostly about what I should start doing to plan our escape, but the conversation sometimes drifted to my journeys to other countries.

"Why is she waiting for me?" I finally asked, slowly swinging my numb legs to the side to step out of bed.

Mirana smiled. "Does she need a reason? She simply wishes to dine with you. So of course we should begin picking out an appropriate dress for the day, yes?" She went to the walk in closet and swung those doors open similar to how she did with the curtains.

"I can pick out my own clothes," I said, accidentally letting my annoyance slip through. It could have possibly been my lack of sleep, but it was also partially that I always hated when my mother would tell me what I should wear to what occasion just because she thought I was incapable of making suitable decisions.

She turned around with grace. "Of course, Alice, I will leave you to it then." And with that, she practically floated out of the room. It made me wonder if I should be worried that she left so easily.

I wanted nothing more than to lay back down and pass out for a little longer, but my worry over what the Red Queen would do to me if I did kept me moving. I did wonder why she wanted to meet with me though…

*****

"Ah, there she is," the Red Queen stated matter-of-factly as I walked into the large dining hall. She sat at the far end of the table and I felt like I had to walk thirty feet just to reach her. "Sit," she demanded, "you shall join me for breakfast this morning."

A little monkey in a bellhop's outfit struggled to pull out the large chair for me. I wished I could help the little guy out, but the Red Queen was staring at me with such scrutiny, I feared I could get the monkey in trouble for not doing his job properly.

I ran my hand down the back of my burgundy dress as I sat, staring at the highly formal setting on the table. When the Red Queen didn't say anything for some time, I nervously looked over at her to see her still staring at me. It was only then that she spoke again.

"You like cranberry tarts?"

I wanted to say no and refuse her hospitality. Who knew what I might have to owe her later on if I began accepting her offers? But when my stomach growled dangerously loud, causing the Red Queen to raise her high eyebrows even more, I couldn't hide the fact that I hadn't eaten since I had those small cakes at the tea party when I first arrived back in Underland. I was starving.

Blushing only lightly, I covered my stomach with my hand, "Yes, they are quite agreeable."

"_Fish!" _She screamed so suddenly that I jumped, though not surprised when a fish servant came slipping and sliding into the room with two plates on either one of his front fins. I still wondered how he survived out of water. Did it mean that in Underland fish had lungs as well as gills?

Once the plates were put down in front of both of us, she picked up her fork but asked, "Would you like anything to drink with that? Tea, perhaps?"

When she mentioned tea, I began to feel absolutely horrible. Here I was, about to enjoy a tasty treat, when Hatter was still down in that room locked away. Was the room brighter since it became daylight, or was it still completely black?

I stared at the tart in front of me, ashamed when my stomach growled again. I picked up the fork also, "No, thank you."

The Red Queen merely shrugged and began eating, "I was thinking that after this we could go out to the back garden and play a bit of croquet." She paused in her eating and stared at me as if challenging me to say otherwise, "You do like a pleasant game of croquet, right?"

"I…yes, I suppose. But, if you don't mind me asking, My Queen…why do you want to play croquet with _me?" _

For some reason, I didn't feel too shocked and when she responded in the same way the White Queen did when I asked her a similar question. "Do I need a reason?"

*****

The game was atrocious. She still had those same poor animals as her objects of choice. I pretended like I had terrible aim so I wouldn't have to feel the impact of the flamingo's head knocking against the tied up porcupine. The Red Queen didn't seem to mind too much. She was winning, after all.

Afterward, she had me sit in the throne room with her as she babbled on about how wonderful she was going to make her boring sister's castle. Stayne made his way in at one point, and though he stood behind her, I felt his eyes continuously on me. I tried to keep my focus on the Red Queen's large head, but I finally couldn't take it anymore and glanced up at the tall man.

I thought that maybe he would look away once I caught him staring, but the meeting of our eyes only made him smile. It wasn't a nice smile either. It was a mischievous smile…one that made me think he was up to something…or knew something.

I began getting paranoid and had to look away. Did he know I was faking my loyalty? Did he see me walking into Hatter's room last night? Was he planning on cornering me later to ask about these things? Or worse…

"Alice!"

I jumped when the Red Queen screamed my name. I looked at her again to see that she looked quite annoyed that I hadn't been listening to her.

"What are you so busy daydreaming about?"

"I…" my mind whirled for something to say. Luckily for me, I have a good imagination. Or maybe I'm just a good liar, "I was thinking of ways to get the Hatter on our side."

"Oh?" She seemed suddenly interested, "And what ways have you come up with?"

"Well…you could use him as entertainment."

She looked amused, "Entertainment?"

I nodded, "You know, have him make you hats and dresses and the like…he is quite skilled with his hands. You could even have him come in here every now and again and tell a riddle or two. He's also very good with words and can come up with creative puzzles and jokes."

"Hm…" She put a finger to her chin and looked up to Stayne. I saw that he already disliked the idea and opened his mouth to tell her it wasn't such a good idea, but she ignored him, "Does he juggle?"

"Um…" The question sounded absurd to me, "I'm not quite sure."

The Red Queen raised her arm slightly as though it should be the most obvious thing, "I was just wondering. After all, he does look _and _act like a clown. And clown's juggle, don't they?"

I tried to suppress my anger from her words. I was only trying to trick her into letting him do some of the things he enjoyed so he didn't have to be tied up in that dark room that had nothing. I didn't like the way she was making him sound like some sort of jester she hired in to amuse her whenever she wanted.

"I will consider it," was her final answer for now.

I tried to stay positive about getting the Hatter more freedom as I looked around the throne room. There were two red cards standing by the entrance of the door and about six peacocks went around dusting off some of the furniture in the room with their tails.

I was at least glad I didn't see any of the creatures I knew personally under the Queen's spell. McTwisp and Mallymkun were no where to be seen, and neither were Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I wondered if any of them even knew that Hatter and I were kidnapped. Were they trying to figure out a way to get us out? In one way, I hoped that they were…but in another, I preferred them to stay away from this dangerous place.

*****

It was nighttime again before I knew it and my heart ached from having been kept from Hatter all day. For some reason, the Red Queen kept me by her side all day. I was relieved when she finally began to yawn and declare it was close to her bedtime.

I didn't know if she had some of her slaves going down to Hatter's cell throughout the day to feed him, but I didn't want to just assume so and have him starve. I repeated the same ritual as the night before; staying awake freezing cold then got up and lit a candle when I figured the rest of the palace was asleep.

I remembered to pull a robe on this time so the cold air wouldn't be so harsh on my skin before I made my way out into the hallway in search of the kitchen. I vaguely recalled the way from the last time I was at the White Queen's castle and she made me _pishalvar_ so I wouldn't be so tall.

I reached the double doors that led into the kitchen and, not imagining that anyone else would be in there this time of night, pushed one door open. I was so thankful for my reflexes that I achieved from having to avoid many tea cups at Hatter's tea parties, for I only took but one step into the kitchen before I saw a large plate come flying toward me.

Ducking, I heard the plate shatter against the door above my head and was glad I moved enough to dodge the falling glass.

"Why are you always so _late!?_"

My eyes widened when I saw the March Hare standing atop the island counter in the middle of the room. He held up a large spoon that looked like it was about to get chucked at me, also.

"Thackery! When did you get here?" I questioned, coming further into the room despite his maniacal smile.

"I've been here _forever! You're _the one that's late!" He stated again, finally tossing the spoon to which I luckily avoided again.

"Are you under the Red Queen's spell as well?" I leaned against the counter to be close to him, hoping to get a straight answer at one point or another.

He jumped off the counter and grabbed a large bowl to put over his head. It looked like he was wearing a helmet, and when he picked up a fork, it almost looked like he was trying to mock the Red Queen, "What a mad, _crazy _thing to say, you _late, _incompetent…" he seemed to struggle to find another word, "…perpetual…!"

"Oh, shut up you annoying little vermin!"

The voice that came out of nowhere made me turn to my right to see an old lady that looked to be no more than four feet high. She looked pleasant enough…like a grandmother that would only be nice to her grandchildren and no one else. She had been behind one of the large cupboards that easily hid her from view.

She shook her head as she limped toward us, "All day and all night, that's all I hear! Mad this and crazy that!" She kicked a stool closer to the counter so she could see the tabletop, "I swear, if I hear those words one more time…" But she didn't finish.

I stared at her very curiously, quite sure I had never seen her before. She began grabbing different objects and liquids around her to pour into a small pot that was sitting over a flame.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare, you stupid girl?" she asked after a few moments.

I stood up straight like she had just slapped me. Why did those that didn't even know me always have to call me stupid!

"I was only trying to recall if I had met you before," I stated, tightening my jaw when she laughed at me.

"If I don't look familiar than I would think it should be pretty apparent that we've never met," she threw something odd looking into the pot that made it sizzle.

"Ring around the _bluddy behg hid!" _The March Hare began singing with his "helmet" and "scepter". When he spoke the Outlandish, his eyes bulged and it seemed as though he was going into convulsions.

The old woman closed her eyes in irritation, "Stop it…"

Thackery didn't listen, "Pock-et full _wyth bluddy behg hid!"_

"That's it!" The old woman moved surprisingly fast when she grabbed a vial full of pink liquid and jumped off the stool. She knocked the bowl off his head and grabbed his ears, forcing him to drink it.

"What are you doing!?" I gasped, running around the counter to try to get poor Thackery out of her grasp. But about time I did, it was too late and the vial was already empty.

I held the March Hare in my arms and felt him go limp. When he looked at me, his pupils were very small and he seemed so calm that it scared me. I glared up at the woman, "What did you do to him!?"

She rolled her eyes at my dramatics and climbed onto the stool again, "Relax, I only gave him something to calm him down. Believe me, you'd give it to him too if you had to spend so much time with him," when she saw that I still wasn't eased down by her words, she sighed. "Don't worry, it wears off within a few hours. I made sure of that when I created it."

Something about how she said the last part made me wonder…

I looked down at Thackery to see he was slowly swaying the fork back and forth across his face, his eyes never leaving the tips. It looked like he was putting himself in a trance.

"Wait a minute," I stood up and walked closer to her, "Do you make all the potions around here?"

She smirked at me, a very proud and menacing smirk, "It's my specialty."

* * *

I'm sorry I had you guys wait so long! I've been so busy with school and work it was beginning to feel like I'd never get to write more of this story! And I'm sure some of you could tell that this wasn't exactly my greatest chapter. But with the time I had, I wrote a paragraph here and a paragraph there…and it kept going like this since the last time I updated until now. So while trying to keep all my thoughts in line, I also tried to have a decent flow with the chapter.

Also, terribly sorry that Tarrant didn't get to make an appearance this time around. This is one of those filler chapters, I suppose. I promise the next chapter will make more sense and be a bit more…muchier!


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